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7 IPhone 6S Features Taken From Other Phones

04:37

As expected, Apple unveiled two new iPhones - iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus at its special event in San Francisco. Not much has changed in terms of design (similar to other S-iteration iPhone variants) but Apple’s next-generation iPhones boast of some new features. While we already know that iOS 9, the software powering the iPhones, comes with features seen already on Android phones, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are also playing catch-up with others. Here are seven new iPhone features that Apple has borrowed from others...

1. 3D Touch

September 10, 2015

Apple’s 3D Touch lets users perform different actions by applying different levels of force on the screen. For instance, a deeper touch opens up an advanced menu or peek into the content inside the app while a simple tap just opens the app. Apple has deployed the same technology in the new 12-inch MacBook and Apple Watch as Force Touch.

The implementation is certainly new but we’ve seen a similar, multi-level touch feature called SurePress on the BlackBerry Storm 2. Huawei also managed to include a similar feature on its Mate S smartphone days before Apple’s new phones.

2. Live Photo

September 10, 2015

One of the new iPhone camera tricks, Live Photo captures some action before and after you press the shutter key and offers it as an animated picture. Still images animate responding to taps (or force touch).

We’ve seen this feature on HTC phones for years with the implementation referred to as Zoe. Microsoft’s Lumia phones also offer a similar feature called Living Image. It’s still not clear if Apple will use a proprietary format or store pictures in GIF format.

3. ​4K Video Recording

September 10, 2015

Support for 4K recording or movie hall quality video recording enables users to shoot video in high resolution (3840x2160p). The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are the first Apple devices to offer this feature.

However, the technology is anything but new and most modern flagship Android phones come with 4K video-enabled cameras. Phones such as the Sony Xperia Z3 and LG G3 supported this feature in 2014. This is another area where Apple’s playing catch-up.

4. Playback Zoom

September 10, 2015

Apple iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus now feature playback zoom, the ability to zoom into objects in videos while playing them. This feature has been present on a number of Android phones including Samsung Galaxy flagships for years. Some third party video apps also support this feature. A small but useful addition nonetheless.

5. Retina Flash

September 10, 2015

Apple’s new iPhones sport an upgraded 5MP front-facing camera but there’s no front flash. For taking selfies in the dark, the Cupertino company has devised an interesting solution through which the screen goes three times brighter and acts as a flash. Apple calls this Retina Flash.

However, the idea is not very original; apps like Front Flash work in the same way setting the screen brightness to maximum and turning the screen white while a picture is taken with the front flash.

6. ​Always-On Hey Siri

September 10, 2015

On the old iPhones, Apple’s Siri voice assistant could be triggered with a voice command when connected to a charger. However, thanks to the new M9 coprocessor, the feature is always on allowing users to activate Siri by saying ‘Hey Siri’ when an iPhone 6S, 6S Plus is nearby.

A number of Android phones support a similar feature for the Google Now assistant and Microsoft’s Lumia phones also offer voice activated Cortana assistant via the ‘Hey Cortana’ command.

7. Aerospace Industry-Grade Aluminium

September 10, 2015

The new iPhones are made from a new 7000 series aluminium material. Apple says the enclosure is made from the same grade used in the aerospace industry and is the strongest alloy it has ever used in an iPhone.

While Apple was one of the first smartphone makers to use a metal body, it’s interesting to note that Samsung also used aerospace-grade aluminium in its recent Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge flagship phones.